Source: Fox Business
As Russia’s 2012 presidential election draws closer, there is increased speculation over whether or not former president and current Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will choose to run again. Speaking on Fox Business, Carnegie’s Matthew Rojansky explained that another Putin presidency would have significant domestic and international ramifications.
Putin and current President Dmitry Medvedev represent different visions for Russia’s future, Rojansky said. Medvedev has expressed a commitment to modernization, reducing corruption, and promoting technological advancement, a series of goals which are good for Russia and in the interest of the United States. Another Medvedev presidency would promise that Russia would continue in its current modernization trajectory, resulting in a relatively stable arrangement that would also be good for global markets, Rojansky said. Another Putin presidency, on the other hand, would signal that Russia may turn its back on reform and modernization, and could jeopardize Russia’s entry into the WTO. Ultimately, Rojansky concluded, Russia’s oil production is not likely to drop if Putin becomes president, which is good news for global markets, but the uncertainty regarding the 2012 election remains problematic for the West.